Minutes
by meteolojinxx
Summary: When you play with fire, it doesn't take long before things start to burn.
1. TwentyEight

**This was originally posted on a different account, but has been deleted there. This is an edited version. (It's also still technically my first fanfic - yay?) Anyway, I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters in this story. Surprise, surprise.**

******Edit: I've noticed that about half of the people who read this chapter don't go on to the next. It's not so fluffy and sweet after this, promise. (In fact, it's anything _but_ fluffy.)**

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_Twenty-eight minutes. _

Zuko set his brush down, glaring at the mountain of paperwork in exasperation. Every day, the servants tottered into his study with a fresh stack of work – trade agreements, bills, legal matters, disagreements over land, inquiries over promotions and parties and meetings, schedules, even requests for his autograph. Zuko's hand was cramped, the wall was singed from a moment when his temper had flared, and there were still pages and pages to sign and correct. To top it off, the night before Zuko hadn't slept a bit due to a nightmare that he had never joined Aang, and Ozai had destroyed everything while Zuko looked on in horror; then, in the morning, there'd been another attempt on his life by one of Azula's deranged supporters. When Azula was still in power, Zuko had never imagined he'd have a chance at becoming Fire Lord, but during the brief moments when he dreamt about it, somehow it never was like this. _Why did Azula want to become Fire Lord so badly, anyway? All I do is wake up long before dawn, stay up long past dusk to fill out paperwork, and attend the most boring meetings about the cabbage trade in the capital city, _thought Zuko, before realizing the sheer stupidity of that question. _She would've chosen war and pain. She'd want to hurt and scare and destroy, to wage war and burn everything to the ground. I chose peace, and therefore this is the price I pay. Mounds of paperwork, assassination attempts and barely enough sleep. _Sighing, Zuko rubbed his eyes and looked up – at the one thing that made all the suffering, all the nightmares, and all the monotony completely worth it.

"Is it time already? And didn't I tell you to knock? For all you know, I could've been fooling around back here with that pretty new maid from the kitchens," said Zuko, holding back a grin as the dark cloud that had been looming above his head suddenly dissipated.

Mai looked around the spacious room for a chair; seeing one by the window, she made as if to get it, then thought better of it and took a seat on Zuko's desk. "I know for a fact that you wouldn't and you didn't." Mai's bored expression never changed, but Zuko saw a hint of a smile behind her impassive mask. In the little over a year that they'd been married, he'd gotten better at reading Mai's emotions, while Mai said it was only because she'd begun to loosen up.

"Who says I wouldn't, or that I didn't? She really is quite attractive," said Zuko, lounging back in his seat. "In fact, how can you be sure she's not hiding in this room at this moment, waiting for you to leave?" The smirk quickly slid off his face as Mai's hand flickered and two razor sharp stilettos flew past his head, clipping a lock of Zuko's hair and then burying themselves in the wall.

"_That's_ why you wouldn't." Mai's gold eyes flickered with amusement at the Fire Lord's bewildered expression as he reached up to touch his hair. "Don't worry; your hair will grow back." She reached over the desk and kissed Zuko lightly on the cheek. "But either way, we're late. You'd better get changed quickly." She stood and began walking toward the door, with her husband extinguishing candles, putting away scrolls, and hurrying after her.

"By the way, Mai, how did you know that I didn't have an affair with the maid?" Zuko said teasingly as he followed her to their chambers.

Mai slowed down and turned to the Fire Lord, a slight smirk on her face and her eyes sparkling. "I just caught her making out with the cook before I went to your study." Something close to a giggle crept into her voice. "They were rolling around in the pile of carrots for the dinner; I gave them a dreadful fright when I burst in."

"I think I've just lost my appetite. Thanks a lot, Mai."

"You're welcome. Now, hurry up!"

Together, Mai and Zuko ran down the halls, talking the whole way.

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**This chapter was extremely short, though the rest shouldn't be. Mai and Zuko are also a bit out of character, in my opinion.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Victoria**


	2. TwentyThree

__**As usual, I own nothing. This chapter was torture to edit, but it's here now~**

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_Twenty-Three Minutes_

Mai and Zuko were dashing through the halls of the palace, completely disregarding the shocked stares directed their way from the servants who didn't yet know of the Fire Lord and Fire Lady's tendency to act like unruly teenagers rather than Fire Nation nobility. Mai's rare smile soon dropped from her face, however, and she tugged on Zuko's sleeve in an irritated way; catching her gaze, he nodded and turned abruptly into a side passage. As soon as they were out of earshot, he leaned against a wall to catch his breath and said, "Why-"

Pressing a finger to his lips, Mai simply replied, "I hate it when they do that, gaping at us like fish." She didn't elaborate any further, and Zuko didn't ask, though he knew something was off. Mai didn't go out of her way just to avoid gawking servants.

Noticing the impassive mask that had once again slid over his wife's face, Zuko turned to her and asked awkwardly, "Mai… do you remember the time when – when I proposed?" _There's that dinner tonight,_ he thought.

"Of course I remember, Zuko, you _proposed._ What kind of wife would I be if I forgot _that_?" Mai rolled her eyes.

"So… you do remember, right?"

"Zuko. You stuttered and blushed, knocked over your wine trying to be smooth, took me for a walk, and when you finally managed to propose, you walked into a tree right after I agreed."

Zuko flushed a deep red as her recalled his embarrassingly clumsy proposal. It had been more than a year, and he was still no good at having intimate conversations with Mai. "Well, yeah, but do you remember what I told you, right after that?"

Ignoring the worry that was coursing through her veins, Mai sighed, "Some sentimental mush about love and so on." _There's that dinner tonight._

"I suppose, but do you remember what it was I said, specifically?" He was beginning to feel like a fool, and Zuko blushed, looking down at his feet. Mai, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to turn her head to the sky and think, _Agni, please make him shut up._

"You went on about how you loved me and no matter what happened that wouldn't change. That's touching and all, but you know I don't like this soppy, lovey-dovey mush about forever and always," Mai sighed, stopping to brush a nonexistent spider web off a portrait of an angry looking Fire Lord.

"Please, Mai, listen. I… I love you with all my heart and I always will no matter what happens. If there's anything wrong, Mai, don't be afraid to tell me…" Zuko's voice trailed off and he looked towards Mai, who remained perfectly still.

Inside, all she felt was a churning, tossing mass of confused emotions and worry. _Does he know?_she thought frantically, feeling as if she were about to be sick. _What if he does?_Mai glanced back at Zuko's uncertain golden eyes and decided he couldn't know. For a brief moment, relief flooded through Mai's body. _He can't know, who would tell him? This worrying is silly._

The blissful relief Mai had experienced disappeared in an instant as the realization hit her like an angry Komodo rhino. _I'll have to tell him myself now. Sometime before the dinner, or... Oh, Agni, help me._

"Mai?" Zuko's voice was tentative, intruding into her thoughts and delicate state of mind; for a moment, she was tempted to let a knife fly, but she quickly decided against it. "Is there anything you have to tell me? You seem…uncomfortable."

_I have to tell Zuko sooner or later. He's as much a part of this as I am, and like it or not, we're all in this together._Fighting to keep her voice steady, Mai whispered, "Zuko, I…"

"Yes?" The Fire Lord took his wife's hand, gazing into her grey-gold eyes with a concerned expression. Looking into Zuko's sincere face and hearing the care in his voice, whatever flimsy resolve Mai had had to tell him everything crumbled.

"I'm just feeling a bit weak," finished Mai feebly. "I think it's just because I haven't eaten much today. I should be fine."

"I guess you should lie down when we get back, or something," said Zuko, frowning. Mai's excuse was unconvincing and strange. This was Mai, after all, the girl who was always behind one mask or another.

_I can't tell him now, I can't. It won't be good when I tell him. It's not good at all anyway. Oh, Zuko, I'm – _

"You sure you're alright, Mai?"

"I just… I need to rest. That's all." _I can't do this yet. Neither of us are prepared to deal with it. Maybe I should wait until another time. But there's the dinner. _

"Are you sure?" There was obvious concern in his tone.

_But there's the dinner. It's perfectly logical to not tell him now. Our duties come first, and then I'll deal with this. After the dinner. _"Zuko. Stop worrying so much about me. I'll be fine." This response was sharp.

A pause. "Well, if that's what you say…"

"I can take care of myself, alright?"

"Whatever you say." Zuko was satisfied – this was better than fragile and confused – and it showed in his voice.

Somewhere in the back of Mai's head, a voice questioned, _Is it really a good idea to argue with him right now?_ She pushed it away. This was all part of the act, wasn't it? Impatiently, she said, "If you're trying to suggest that I'm wrong, then-"

"No! That's not what I'm trying to say. I'm just saying that I'll take your word for it!"

"That's not what it sounded like."

"What? What do you think it sounded like, huh?"

"I told you already, Zuko."

A servant quietly passed by, paying no attention to the familiar sounds of their argument.

"I just – I want to help you, but I trust you, Mai, so – you know what I mean!"

The voice in Mai's head was laughing bitterly now. _Is this part of the act too?_

"You trust me. Yeah, okay."

Zuko's fists were clenched. "What do you mean?"

"You trust me." The words sounded hollow to her, and all she was doing was making everything that much worse, but she couldn't help it.

"Well, yeah, I just said that, didn't I?" There was something off with Mai, that much was obvious, but Zuko decided to play along.

"Why?" Mai said the word with the least emotion she can, but to her ears it gave too much away.

"Why'd I say it? Because I do trust you, that's why, and it shouldn't be this much of a surprise to you!"

"You know what, forget it."

"What?"

"It's not a big deal, Zuko, so just drop it."

"The fact that I trust you isn't a big deal? It shouldn't be, it's pretty obvious."

"No, what I mean is… that this argument isn't a big deal. We'll be late if we keep squabbling like children."

"Oh. Yeah, I guess."

Mai started at a brisk pace, letting out a deep sigh. She had a dinner to survive, and after that, well, she'd rather not think about it.

Zuko pulled lightly at her sleeve, a puzzled look on his face. "Mai. Don't take this the wrong way, but are you sure there's nothing wrong? You're not acting like yourself."

"We're back to this again, are we?"

"There is something wrong, isn't there?"

"Yeah, there is," Mai muttered, desperately wanting to just get away. Her voice sounded quiet and lifeless, at least to her. "We're late."

"Not that. I know it's not that."

"We _are_ late."

"Mai…" Zuko put a hand on her shoulder and awkwardly pulled her closer to him. A sinking feeling settled in the bottom of Mai's stomach.

"Zuko." Her voice sounded far off.

"Mai, I know I'm not good at this, really. But you need to tell me what's wrong."

Mai sighed again, stumbling away from him. "Get off me. Stop!" The Fire Lord opened his mouth to speak, walking towards her. "Can't you leave me alone?" There was a steely, icy edge in her voice at first that turned to barely controlled hysteria, her chest heaving with the effort.

"Please, tell me what's wrong." He grabbed her arm.

"Go away! Leave me alone!"

Zuko's grip loosened and his face fell. The pain was obvious in his eyes, one perfect and one scarred. _Why is she doing this? Why all of a sudden? _"Is that really what you want, Mai?"

"Just- just go away!" Mai crammed her hands into her sleeves. Fingers made contact with cold steel and she took a deep breath, feeling the countless knives hidden in her robes take away some of the stress. It wasn't enough. A soft noise escaped her lips before she could keep it in.

Softly, Zuko muttered, "What happened to 'don't even break up with me again'? What happened to 'don't leave me'?

"I want you to _go away!"_

Pain and confusion fled, leaving anger in its place. "I'm your _husband_, Mai! You- you can't just tell me to leave again like you did on Ember Island! _You're stuck with me, Mai, whether you like it or not!"_Tendrils of smoke curled upwards from the Fire Lord's clenched fists.

"Didn't you hear me? I said _leave me alone!"_By now Mai was shouting too, her raised voice echoing down the hall and leaving absolute silence in its wake. Somewhere in the depths of the palace there was the crash of two food trolleys and a scream, then the sounds of clattering trays and breaking crystal, like a grand finale to the argument that had just taken place. A heated silence followed as Zuko worked to check his temper and extinguished the flames that had appeared on the carpet, all the while glaring at Mai. "Fine," he growled finally. The Fire Lady made no movement, showed no reaction, gave no sign of hearing him give in. Zuko turned away and angrily strode back the way they had come. "Fine."

When Zuko's back had turned and disappeared around the corner, Mai turned and broke into a run. She could hear him yelling still, complaining about the food and the mess and the servants. This was the Zuko she knew and loved, always cranky, always hot-tempered, always caring nevertheless. _How could I have hurt him like that?_

For a moment, she had the urge to chase after him, to break down and tell him everything, to apologize and hope he'd understand. But she couldn't hurt him. Mai had seen the pain in his eyes and knew that if he didn't want this that it would be worse. She knew that he loved her more than he could say. And she knew that she loved him the same way.

It could kill them both, if it went wrong. Their relationship had been a confusing one, and although they loved each other they knew there was always something threatening lurking. There were balancing on the edge of something frightening at times, when the stress and the responsibility and the hurt set in. Mai had often reflected on their past and stared down the precipice herself.

Mai put her head in her hands and sighed. Maybe they could fix it. They'd rebuilt so much… But they were the Fire Lord and the Fire Lady, and this would surely tear them apart. They had duties to their nation. Responsibilities and an image to uphold. Honor.

Quietly, Mai wiped away the rare tears that had appeared on her face. Wouldn't it be better to get it all over with? To kill herself now, to spare him the knowledge, to let only one die rather than to kill them both? There would be none of the pain of worrying, none of the pain of knowing. The nation would hear, but they would be saved. Their honor, his honor, would be safe. Wouldn't it be better?

Mai ran to the suite of rooms that she and Zuko shared, sweeping her gaze over everything they shared. The window they'd watched the sunsets from, the table scattered with their belongings, the bed they'd slept in, the memories they'd had. The sofa where they'd eaten fruit tarts together. She passed it quickly, willing herself not to look, and took paper, brush and ink from the desk, tears still streaming down her face. She sat and began to write, signing the letter with a shaky hand and tucking it under a vase of panda lilies that had been placed there that morning.

As she studied her reflection in the polished surface of the vase, Mai thought of Ty Lee, the closest thing she had to a best friend. She would have been coming tonight. In fact, she was probably on her way.

She'd saved Mai once, when Mai was prepared to give it all for Zuko. Now she was ready again, this time for more than just Zuko, and Ty Lee couldn't stop her now.

Mai took out her sharpest knife, stepped into the bathroom, and locked the door.

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**As I said, torture to edit - I doubled the length at one point, but ended up deleting that whole part. I just don't really like this chapter, I guess. My style of writing and my ideas have changed since I first wrote this. Anyway, enough of this. Review, please? :)**


	3. Fourteen

**Disclaimer: I don't own A:TLA. I do, however, own Kong, Kei, and Taro.**

**A/N: I thought I'd updated already, but it turns out I hadn't – whoops. Sorry!**

**The times are pretty unrealistic, but the whole thing wasn't very well planned out when I started… I apologize.**

**Also, warning: This one's a bit... gruesome.**

**On with the chapter:**

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_**Fourteen Minutes**_

"Sir." The young man walked into the room with stiff, military gait, holding a scroll in one hand. "There's been a… problem, involving the Fire Lady and Fire Lord."

Taro looked up from his desk, cradling a cup of tea between two pudgy hands. "Kong! This is wonderful tea, my boy; you'll have to remind me to thank Prince Iroh. It's quite effective for aches and pains, would you like some?" He quirked his eyebrows and made to pour another cup before Kong frowned and pushed the teapot away.

"Sir, there are more serious matters at hand." Kong's manner was impatient, making it clear that though Taro was above him in status and age, he did not care to listen to him or his advice. The way he said "sir" made it clear that he did so more to mock Taro, whose position in the palace was nevertheless low, than out of necessity. "And please, do not address me as 'my boy'. It is far too informal."

"Ah, yes, of course. What happened? Have they fought again?" Taro turned and began to look through an untidy stack of papers.

"Yes, but…" Kong unrolled the scroll and placed it on Taro's desk with a sharp, clean motion and ignoring the old man's protests when a series of ink-covered papers fluttered to the ground. "If you'd stop fussing around with your precious puzzles, _sir,_you'd see that this is serious."

Taro carefully retrieved his glasses and peered at the scroll with mild curiosity, his unconcerned expression deepening into a deep frown as he read. By the time he set down his glasses, his normally rosy face was pale – something that, it should be noted, did not happen often. "This can't be true."

"But it is, sir. You are required to assess the… damage, if you will." Kong turned, wincing, and departed, glancing back once to ensure that Taro had followed him rather than settling back into his chair. The older man was waddling along at a relatively quick pace, the cup of tea still clutched tightly in his hand. _Both the old and the royalty are fools,_Kong thought with a grimace. _But neither has very long to live!_The new Fire Lord was weak, insisting on things such as cooperation, tolerance and friendship. His thoughts had obviously been tainted by the filth he ran around with, and the young Fire Lord was in turn tainting and destroying his nation with his stupid ideals. Honestly, Kong was surprised that Fire Lord Zuko hadn't been assassinated yet. The pathetic imitation of a Fire Lord didn't stand a chance. _It won't be long now. Not long at all._

A smirk settled across Kong's face as he imagined a new reign, with the Princess Azula on the throne. _She_was a proper ruler, one who would lead the Fire Nation to glory as they had never imagined before. Princess Azula may have been locked away, but there was no prison, no asylum that could hold her once she wanted to leave. There were rumors among the household staff that Azula had recovered from her brief spiel of madness already and was about to return. Fire Lord Zuko had held a quiet, urgent meeting to discuss what to do with her, and a decision had been made, though it had not been announced. Kong had no fear. Azula would find her way back for revenge, he was certain.

Kong's thoughts were interrupted by a maid, who collided with him as she turned a corner. "Watch where you're going!" she cried, her breathy, feminine voice and delicate features betraying the vicious glare she was giving Kong.

"You're the one who walked right into me, Kei!" Kong snapped.

"Oh, and now you don't even say hello before correcting me, is it? I've half a mind to leave you!" Kei hissed angrily.

Taro, panting, shook his head and spoke before Kong could reply. "A lovers' quarrel! I don't mean to say this is insignificant, but..."

Kei turned her attention to Taro and said, "I was sent to find you, if you must know. They've said to take your time getting there, and not to overexert yourself."

"Well, I do need a quick break. Too much tea… I'll be back soon." He hurried into the hall that Kei had come from, handing his tea to Kong.

Once out of earshot and alone with the maid, whose offended expression had not changed, Kong smiled wryly. "Why, isn't this a lovely coincidence? What brings you here?"

"You know exactly why I'm here, so don't bother trying to set up a dramatic conversation." As an afterthought, she pouted, "And you still haven't said hello."

"I'll give you a better greeting." He reached out with his free hand and tilted Kei's head towards his. She moved toward him with enthusiasm, but with a laugh Kong pulled away. "Always so easy to trick." Not bothering to respond to her sulky glare, he continued, "'Set up a dramatic conversation'? Sweetheart, I'm not sure what you mean." He reached into his pockets as he spoke and pulled out a small vial, which he pressed into Kei's hand.

She looked at it with wary distaste and gave it back to Kong. Glancing around her, Kei whispered, "You act as though this is all a delightful, dramatic play and we're the sinister, stealthy villains."

"But we are, my dear, we are." He was now holding the vial up to the light, swirling it about and gazing intently at the bubbles that formed.

"_You_ are, or seem to think so, not me! And put that down, someone will see!"

"Only you, and perhaps the old man, but that's of no concern. The rest of the palace is too preoccupied." With a faint _pop_, Kong pulled the cork from the vial and tipped the substance into Taro's tea, then looked back at Kei. "What do you mean, _dearest_ – when you say that I am, not you?"

"You're the only one that thinks this is amusing."

"Do you mean to say, then," he hissed, turning his attention to her, "that you do not support our cause?"

Rolling her eyes, Kei muttered, "I said nothing of the sort, Kong, but I will not go through unnecessary theatrics to accomplish our goal."

"This coming from someone like you! This, coming from a girl who just…" Kong began to laugh, a deep echoing sound that travelled down the hall. "You _have_ just done it, haven't you?"

"We could have spared the-"

A crunching sound caused Kei to pause. Kong was grinding the empty glass vial into the ground with his foot, a smug look on his face. "I presume you were about to say unnecessary? My dear girl, it was completely necessary."

"Only to you!"

"But it _is_ done?" There was a bright, eager quality in his eyes. He pulled her to him by the waist and breathed in the faint smell of smoke, knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"Say it, Kei – is it done?"

"She's dead." The odd, tumultuous victory in Kong's eyes unnerved her, and she discreetly edged away from him as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, lips curved in a satisfied smile.

It was closer now, he knew. The time was ticking down and soon it would all be over. "Can't you see it, Kei? Our plans are coming to a peak, rising off the papers on which they are drawn, and soon they will burst into flame... The nation – no, the world – will see them as they burn. And a phoenix will rise from the ashes!"

Kei said nothing but watched him with cautious eyes, and Kong gave her a stiff nod. "The fat man will be back soon. Let's pretend that we've made up, shall we?" He brought his mouth to hers again.

This time, Kei hesitated.

* * *

Taro stood, not in the restroom, but in one of the old servants' passages. It was a little-known hallway, neglected for the most part in favor of more direct routes, and coated with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs. Those who waited on the royal families of the past had used this passage to scurry about unseen while cleverly concealed holes along its length allowed them to spy and gossip, as Taro was doing now.

Though their voices were often too low and muffled for him to hear, Taro was intrigued in Kong and Kei's conversation. He had watched as Kong nonchalantly poisoned his tea, with no hesitation whatsoever. The knowledge that the younger man was trying to kill him (he had no doubt that the poison was meant to kill) was no great surprise; these actions only confirmed what Taro had been suspecting. Rumors and tales of what Kong had done during the war had been floating around for a while. Though Taro refused to listen, he had gotten the general idea. To finally realize that Kong was capable of the act, however, was extremely chilling. If he hadn't been watching… if he were to rejoin them and take few sips of his tea…

Taro shuddered. Kong was his protégé, a brilliant young man who had been under his tutelage since childhood. Though they had… drifted apart, if you will, due to Kong's aspirations to rise more quickly in the ranks of the military- Taro still felt very close to the boy, and he didn't want to believe what he had seen.

_It was only expected._A nagging voice at the back of his head spoke. _He's changed so much._

Taro futilely tried pushing the thoughts out of his head. _Kong has been through so many horrors. He lost his foot during the Day of Black Sun, and it's clear the steel one hurts him. And then we lost the war… Once he's recovered from the trauma, Kong will be okay. He just needs time._Even to himself, the excuses were hollow and lacked any real conviction.

Watching Kong sneer and whisper, the cup of tea still clutched in his hand, Taro could not help thinking about the ways the younger man had changed. _Maybe his mother was right when she named him Kong –_empty. The boy had always had a penchant for drama, but outside of his zealous, vehement, almost violent support for the fallen Princess Azula and Fire Lord Ozai, he showed little feeling._ Maybe it was true, the rumors. Maybe Kong was taking his ambition too far. _The voice in his mind seemed to be mocking Taro's confusion and hurt, but at this point its tone changed to one of concern and caution. _ Maybe he isn't just a little boy caught in the glory of a war anymore. He is dangerous… _

_Your son is every bit the murderer he seems to be._

Taro closed his eyes against this staggering truth. He left the passage quietly, his feet dragging more than he could help, his knees hurting more than he would like, his heart aching more than he could ever bear.

* * *

The first thing Taro noticed was the blood.

It coated the surface of the counter, splattering over various surfaces in a macabre pattern and trickling over the tiled floor. A woman lay face down in a sink, her skin ashen and devoid of life, one black bun drenched in sticky blood, from what Taro could see –or what he could bear to. Skipping over the prone body, Taro surveyed the room, noticing only that the room was strangely empty of investigators for an event such as this before his head began spinning and bile rose in his throat. Turning, Taro closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself, noticing the unpleasant rusty smell in the room. Opening his eyes after a moment, Taro saw Kong walk in, and squeezed his eyes shut again. _Slight_ _damage and possible injuries? Whoever wrote that report must have been blind._

Kong entered the room, his face set firmly in an expression that was a peculiar mixture of dejection, outrage, and the slightest glimmer of determination. Taro had not taken the tea back, instead insisting with a sort of faux, crude, cheeriness that it "disrupted his bowel movements, as he had unpleasantly discovered while in the restroom". Kong had been forced to grit his teeth quietly, shake his head and dispose of the tea by pouring it discreetly onto an expensive-looking potted plant. He figured that he would put the poison to good use (it hadn't been cheap, oh no, but what else could he do with it now?) and ruin something, anything, if only for the enjoyment that destruction brought.

Taro stood before Kong, clearly disturbed by the sight of the blood. He grinned at how the man was afraid of bloodshed, afraid of death. Why? He could not fathom. Death was natural, was expected, and was real. During his time in the military under Fire Lord Ozai Kong had learned to be ruthless, to show no mercy, and to kill. Blood did not bother Kong.

As he strode forward to look around, Kong's bad foot slipped in the slime that covered the floor, and he smiled inwardly at the amount of pain the woman much have been in, though his stony face betrayed little emotion. This was the culmination of many weeks of plotting and the twisted result of two intricate plans, an excellent way to kill two birds with one stone.

"Kong?" Taro's voice, queasy.

"Yes? Are you sick to your stomach, _sir_? Are you unable to handle this scene as a _man_would, Taro, sir?" Kong could not help mocking the man's nauseated expression.

"Is… is that her? Fire Lady Mai?"

Kong paused, then walked to the counter and lifted the woman's head, waiting, prolonging the time as he slowly lifted up the veil of hair. Each second was excruciating, pounding dully in Taro's ears, until he finally snapped.

"Kong! Just do it!" His tone softened before he said, more softly, "I need to know this, my son."

Kong scowled slightly at the words "my son", but still turned the corpse and inspected its face, then its robes. Finally, Kong stood with a grim face. "Sir, this certainly looks very similar to Lady Mai, and the hair is done in the same style…"

He took a while watching the other man's expression, simply to pain Taro, then slid the sleeves up to reveal holster-less, knife-less, dark arms. "But it isn't her."

Taro let out a breath, thankful that a nationwide – perhaps worldwide, even- crisis had been averted. "Thank Agni," he muttered.

"This means that our precious little ZuZu did not, in fact, brutally murder his wife, the beautiful and able Lady Mai, as a mass of confused servants and cooks believe. The disaster has been averted, old man. _Sir_." He brushed off his hands.

"_Fire Lord Zuko_ is an able and just man, Kong, and you'd do well to respect that. He would not lay hands violently on Lady Mai. But nevertheless, I am relieved to know for sure that he did not. _Thank Agni_." The kitchens wavered oddly, and Taro shut his eyes again.

"Oh, but look, sir!" Kong tilted the woman's face so that a charred mass of flesh was exposed. "It would seem that he _wanted_to. Or is it only a coincidence, that he was heard shouting at Mai, stormed into the kitchen, caused complete chaos, terrified the servants, and now we find the burnt, slashed, brutally stabbed body of a woman _who looks like Mai?"_

Retching, Taro replied in a weak voice. "Why- why is there a woman dressed as Mai in the kitchens?"

No longer making any sort of attempt at hiding his contempt for the Fire Lord, Kong said, "I think the more important question is, _why did Zuko kill this woman?_ After all, we cannot have a Fire Lord who kills his servants outright in an attempt on his wife's life and causes scandal, can we, sir?"

"Any firebender could have done this! But that – that doesn't solve why this woman was –is- dressed as Lady Mai, and why she is dead!"

"It's simple, sir. I've explained it to you already. Zuko was upset at Mai, came into the kitchens in a blind rage, and attacked a woman who he thought was his wife, sir."

Taro pressed shaking fingers to his temples. "I don't understand. There are holes in your explanation, Kong."

"Passion explains it all."

"Passion does not cause a sensible, cautious (for Zuko is more cautious now, he has learned from his mistakes) man who is madly in love with his wife to kill her blindly in the middle of a full kitchen! Think, Kong! He was arguing with Lady Mai – they must have gone off in different directions – he turned towards the kitchen – he saw, presumably, a woman who looked like Mai – why would he decide to attack and burn her, when he knew that Lady Mai was heading in the opposite direction? Why would he decide abruptly to kill Mai in the first place? Why would he kill her in such a public place, when he knows there has been discomfort among the staff for a while now? I know about the thoughts of rebellion that drift about, Kong! I am not as stupid as you believe!"

"Sir, I cannot explain _why_Zuko would do anything. He is not a smart man, after all. I only know what he did, not why, sir, and what he did was _murder some of his staff._"

"Some of? Do you mean that there are _more_ corpses?" Taro was seething with anger and despair now, and sorely tempted to leave. This last remark seemed only to strengthen Kong's calm, smug, rehearsed façade, and as his son drew himself to his full height and started over to the corner of the room, Taro began to dread Kong's reply.

"Why, of course. If you have not forgotten, there were servants here when this… tragedy occurred, and they saw what happened. It is understandable, sir. Zuko is, after all, a volatile person incapable of controlling himself, and utterly unfit to be Fire Lord, as this once again proves." Kong reached down and pulled what seemed to be a limp, blackened doll out of the mess of shattered glass, ashes and dented pans.

Taro recoiled at the sight, his face now a slight shade of green. "Agni! What _is_that? Is that…No! It can't be. But… is it…"

"A young child, sir." A smirk grew on Kong's face as he came closer with the body still in his hands, the look of someone who knew they had won. "Would you like to inspect for yourself, sir, and determine whether or not Zuko did this?" He laid the body on a table near Taro.

_"Agni, no!"_

Taro rushed out of the room and Kong followed. He walked out of the kitchen, standing over Taro as the latter vomited into a flowerpot.

"I will inform the Minister of Public Affairs that you have agreed with my belief that the considerable damage and loss of life that happened here were the actions of Fire Lord Zuko. He will, presumably, release this information as he feels fit, and perhaps we will _finally_ be rid of Zuko."

Kong departed briskly, his foot barely paining him at all and a smug smile on his face. Kei had done her job well, disposing of the targets flawlessly; the kitchen staff were in a muddle about what had actually happened, and would easily believe that Zuko had done this. Many of the guards were on his side, and the ones who were not were off investigating a false alarm. Certain would-be traitors against the rebellion movement had been eliminated, Zuko's throne was about to be taken from him, and all of this had been done with one stroke.

There was only one snag in the plan, which could be fixed quite easily. Kong turned and headed back towards the kitchens.

Upon passing Taro's retching body, Kong pulled a needle from a concealed holster within one of his sleeves and savagely jabbed it into his father's back, making sure all of its contents were emptied before yanking it out and stowing it back in its place. "You didn't think you'd get off _that_ easily by avoiding the tea, did you? Good-bye, _Father,_" he whispered. Laughing at Taro's shocked and pained expression, Kong kicked aside his victim's convulsing body and began heading toward his chambers to change before the party, his spirits high.

* * *

_**Earlier**_

_**(Seventeen Minutes)**_

Zuko was blissfully unaware of the conspiracy against him, though this was due partially to the anger and confusion that still coursed through his body (albeit less anger than confusion and sadness, now). After he had let out some of his rage by criticizing some of the kitchen staff, he had stormed off toward one of the courtyards designated for practicing firebending to try (unsuccessfully) to relax. It was only a matter of minutes before he dashed to his quarters to change into his formal robes at the insistence of an advisor whom he had encountered, and found… _this._

"This" was a mess, something that Zuko would have had no patience for and dismissed as an overly dramatic ploy to get his attention, had the signature at the bottom of the tear-stained letter he was clutching (which he hadn't bothered to read yet- the evidence of tears was enough to shake him up) been written by anyone other than Mai. But it _was_ Mai's doing.

The bathroom door was locked. Afraid, Zuko pried open the door, his heart pounding, terrified of what he might find. At the same time, he did not really expect to find anything, but…

Zuko had to close his eyes for a moment when he stepped in the dark room with a roaring flame held in his hand, as a brilliantly glittering light struck him and caused him to recoil in surprise._What was that?!_ Dimming the flame, Zuko saw the source of the brightness – the ornate mirrors that adorned the walls and the glass that encased part of the bath were shattered, knives embedded in the centers of swirling, spidery patterns of cracks. A layer of glass dust and water coated some of the countertops, sinks and tiles where a crystal chandelier had fallen. He noticed that his eyes were strangely reflected on nearly every surface. _What did Mai do? This is so strange, so unlike her. Other than the knives, of course._At any rate, she wasn't here.

He returned to their bed and unrolled the letter, which was written in shaky calligraphy so unlike Mai's familiar, precise handwriting. The contents were brief and puzzling –

_Dear Zuko_

"_I'm sorry you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving." Agni, it hurt when you did that to me, and I said I'd never do it to you but it's so complicated, Zuko, so complicated-meet me at the gardens, Ursa's tree._

_I'm so sorry._

_Mai_

Zuko held the letter tightly in one hand, more upset now than ever, and rushed out of the room towards the gardens.

* * *

**A/N: Nasty stuff, isn't it?**

**While I did do some major editing and changing in the part with Kong and Kei, which included developing them a little more, the changes throughout the rest were pretty minor. I'm not sure I like it, but to be honest I don't particularly like the whole concept of this fic anymore…**

**Some things: **_**Kong **_**means "empty" in Chinese. **_**Kei **_**is supposedly "reverence" in Japanese (I don't know any Japanese, so I don't know exactly.) **

**Questions, comments, hate, etc.- feel free to review and/or message.**

**Thanks for reading, and special thanks to reviewers!**


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